


Keep Smiling

by SpaceStingray



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Character Study, Dead Parents, Fluff, Other, Refuses to Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-09-12 16:48:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16876539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceStingray/pseuds/SpaceStingray
Summary: Scorpia takes a little detour before going to bed and catches up with family.





	1. Chapter 1

“Okay, seeya bright and early tomorrow!” Scorpia waved a claw and left the “prisoner cell” where Entrapta was left to. In all actuality it was a repurposed bedroom but fitted with more gadgets and tools. So long as Entrapta continued to be of service to Hordak, he saw no reason to keep her from any form of comfort.

Scorpia was glad he felt that way, it meant that she didn’t have to pull anything away from Entrapta, or use brute force to keep her restrained. While she enjoyed being of any service to Hordak, it also meant that she was the one who was blamed, yelled at, or attacked on his behalf. She saw a few cadets chatting in the halls, one of them turned to see her then ushered his friend into a room. It was something she was used to for a long time. Instead of letting it get her down, however, she looked to her Horde badge instead. A grin slowly crept its way onto her face, her walk shifted into a jog as she took a detour into the more secluded wings of the Fright Zone base.

Tucked away in the older wings of the base was a storage room, packed from floor to ceiling with mountains of various antiques and treasures. To the cadets and most soldiers it was completely off limits unless approved by Lord Hordak himself, but Scorpia was the only exception. To her it was a museum of her heritage, all the family heirlooms were stored here, and they were all hers (well, technically they were left to Lord Hordak but they were hers on principal). The majority of the room was so crammed that it was difficult to move, but Scorpia cleared a space in the back of the room where she could sit on the floor. Propped against the wall was a tall painting, two soft faces gazed down at her as she curled her tail around her crossed legs.

“Hey Mom”, whispered Scorpia, “you’ll never believe what happened today! We actually found a princess, a real princess hiding in the walls of the base! Now, she’s not dangerous, well she kinda is but she agreed to stay with us! Force Captain Catra completely saw through to her and took her in,” she sighed “wow, Mom you’d absolutely love her.” She rubber the tips of her claws together. “Catra’s just so smart and soft and… I know she’s trying to be look tough because she’s the new Force Captain and all, but she’s such a good person to just accept the princess with open arms like that.” She looked back up to the painting. It was a full body portrait of the king and queen. Scorpia didn’t have too many memories of her father, he was dwarfed compared to her mother, a thinly framed man with a sly, confident grin. She definitely took more after her mother, the wide frame, the soft mouth, the pure white hair that was tied back in a beautiful long braid to match her own tail. Her mother was the one blessed with the tail and claws, most of Scorpia’s memories were of those claws. She couldn’t wrap her head around how scared her own claws made everyone. But all she remembered was of how gentle her mother was when holding her, how those claws felt like dependable support. “I hope I can be as half as good as she is,” whispered Scorpia, “then I know I’ll be almost as good as you were.” 

She sat back to admire the portrait, then glanced around the rest of the antiques, her grin slowly began to turn downwards. She turned back to the painting. “Mom, I know that you… probably wouldn’t be as happy with Lord Hordak right now. I know he’s taking things farther than you wanted him to with… eeeeeverything.” She shrugged. "But he didn’t make me forget you, and at least he’s giving me a home and a job to do.” She clicked one of her claws shut, the closest she could manage to making a fist. “I’m going to keep my chin up and make the best of this, just you wait!” Carefully, she pushed herself to her feet. “Those princesses…” She paused, her shoulders slumped. “Should I… even call myself a princess anymore?” She tapped the tip of a claw against her chin. “Well, I guess for now. Anyway, they won’t know what hit them.” She brushed the broad side of a claw against the frame of the painting, wincing at the scratches and claw marks she made when she first dug the piece from its original resting spot. “I’ll be better.” She whispered.

She whispered a “good night” before stepping out of the room. After taking a deep breath, her smile returned to her. Her life was changing for the better, despite her kingdom still being run by a warlord, but she wasn’t going to let those bad thoughts drag her under. With confident steps she began making her way to her quarters. She ignored the cadets that ran from her, she chose not to listen to the snickers and quiet remarks. Let them talk. She was a princess that wasn’t sinking.

You’re gonna be proud of me, Mom, just wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Queen fears for her kingdom, a Lord steps forward, it's ugly.

The queen easily stood over the heads of all of her subjects, it was just her physical nature. Like her mothers before her, she inherited the body of leadership and power, but it was more than just a gift of nobility. With her powerful claws and stinging tail, she would gladly defend any of her citizens. She was more than a queen, she was a mother and guardian.

At least, that’s what she was raised to believe by her own mother. When she merely carried the Princess status, her own mother ruled over with that very mindset. Since then, another figure had managed to wriggle his way into a position of power, and it made Arachnea feel a pit in her stomach. She gazed out of the window and down into her kingdom. Where houses, tradespeople and craftsmen once resided, there were now large factories and large dorms that were under construction. But it was okay. Hordak was a trusted man of the council. He was a friend of the family. He knew Arachnea since she was a little princess, and she knew him ever since he was but a humble refugee in her family’s kingdom. When he proved himself to her mother and father and became practically a part of their family, then their advisor.

But now… Now she was officially starting to grow from mere concern and into fear.

A small whimper pulled Arachnea from her thoughts and away from the window. She turned to face the cradle in the center of the room, the baby inside stirring from sleep. She gave a warm smile and gently lowered one of her massive forearms, snaking the broadside of her claws underneath the child and pulling her to her chest. The baby girl gave a happy sigh and hooked her claws into her mother’s garments. Arachnea rested her cheek against her daughter’s head and gave it a warm kiss.

Footsteps could be heard outside of the room before a man with a head of silky white hair strode into the room. “Everything alright? I thought I heard the baby-“ He blinked when his eyes fell upon the queen and he let loose a chuckle. “Oh, I see, a little late.”

Arachnea gave a soft smile and beckoned him over. “She’s alright, Parvod, just waking up from a nap.”

“Is that all? My little princess arising from her slumber and gracing us with her beautiful smile?” The king extended a hand and gently teased the tip of the baby’s curled tail, making soft noises under his breath. The baby opened her eyes and giggled at the attention, twitching her tail in response. Arachnea raised an eyebrow, still holding her grin.

“You want to be careful when you do that, her venom may be harmless now but it will still hurt.” 

“Oh?”

“When I stung my nanny, she cursed loud enough for the whole palace to hear her. Said it felt like delivering twins.”

Parvod, his eyes now wide but still holding his friendly grin, pulled his finger back gently. “Oh…” He said. “That’s a good thing to know.” It took a lot out of Arachnea to not burst out laughing at his expression, instead she leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss. Even to the members of the royal guard, Parvod was considered short for his size. When he was growing up he was called “runt” by his peers. Thinly framed and physically weak, his physical shortcomings allowed him to excel in other fields, namely alchemy. It was his brilliant mind that had charmed Arachnea initially, but it was his soft and humble personality that made her fall in love. When they pulled away from their kiss, he turned back to their daughter. “Well, that tail will protect you in the long run. And if anyone gets hit then that’s their fault.” He rubbed a bony hand over the baby’s hair, giving it a soft ruffle. The princess let loose a laugh and wriggled under her father’s touch, his face grew soft again. “You just keep that smile, Scorpia.” 

Arachnea brushed a claw against his arm. “If she gets your charm, then she’ll be just fine.” 

Parvod shrugged, his grin slowly turning down, he turned to Arachnea. “They’re on the move again.” He said. “The Alliance, I mean.”

Arachnea’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, so they’re not at the borders anymore.” Parvod shook his head.

“No, but I managed to find this before any of the soldiers got their hands on it… I think you should have it.” He held out a small envelope addressed to Queen Arachnea, the seal of Bright Moon holding it together.

Arachnea’s eyes narrowed, she turned and sat in a nearby chair, gently rocking Scorpia. “Open it for me.”

Parvod nodded and broke the seal, he read the note to his wife. “Queen Parvod, we hope that this message gets to you and you alone. Since Lord Hordak has been speaking on your behalf we fear that he has done something unspeakable. Queen Angella of Bright Moon, as acting leader of Etheria’s Princess Alliance, wishes to speak with you. The last thing we want is more lives to be lost. We are growing desperate. This is our final plea for a peaceful end to this conflict. Signed, King Micah of Bright Moon.”

Parvod looked to Arachnea, her face a mask of worry lines, her gaze fell to the baby in her arms. Parvod gently approached his wife and sat next to her. The queen shook her head. “I know why they can’t just… make peace with Hordak. I can see through him, you know.” The king bit his lip as she spoke. “He says he just wants to unite the kingdoms, he claims it’s for peace but… he wants to rule over everyone. Destroy the bloodlines of the princesses and rule over the people of Eternia, that’s his endgame."

Parvod placed a hand on her lap. “We can’t let him get away with it.”

Arachnea took a deep breath, she blinked away the moisture in her eyes. “It just… it hurts. You know? When you grow up with someone always being there for you, they play with you, they listen to your stories, they help guide you as you grow into the role you were bred for and… then they slowly begin to show their true colors.” She grinned as she noticed Scorpia playing with the buttons on her dress. “And when you have a child of your own, one who is supposed to take your place when you’re gone… you begin to wonder if that position will be there for them, and if they will have a place in the world you’re leaving them. And…” She wrapped her large clawed arms around her daughter. “You begin to worry if-“

A knock on the door caused both king and queen to jump to attention, Parvod stuffed the note into his pocket. A guard opened the door, allowing Lord Hordak to stride confidently into the nursery. “My King and Queen,” said Hordak, “I’ve come to announce that the soldiers of the war-hungry Alliance have been driven away from the borders.” He stepped towards the two and gently stroked Scorpia’s face with a finger. “Your kingdom and family are safe once more.” He cooed, his voice more similar to a cat’s purr than normal.

Arachnea shifted in her seat, it took a lot in her to not show disgust over Hordak touching her child. But it distracted her from opening her mouth. “And the Black Garnet?” She blurted out, Parvod stared at her. She turned her head up to meet Hordak’s gaze. “What of my family’s Runestone? When will you be done experimenting with it?”

Hordak’s face was blank, his mouth a thin line as he gazed back at the queen, not with anger, but with curiosity. Arachnea swallowed a lump in her throat as she returned his gaze, unmoving, stern, still holding her position as a queen. When Hordak broke his gaze, he straightened and cleared his throat. “Your majesty,” he said gently. “The Black Garnet is of immeasurable value, my second in command is still trying to gain all the knowledge she can from it so that we may use the stone to its full potential. More than any of the other kingdoms could hope to use their own.”

“The Runestones are more than just batteries or power sources, Hordak.” Arachnea stood, at her full height she was easily a foot taller than Hordak. She knew she could intimidate him physically, and she knew that she was still queen. “They are a gift from the planet itself, to be connected by only the chosen royal families.” Her voice raised as she took a step forward. “Frankly, I have had enough of this!”

Hordak took a step back, an eyebrow raising. “Had enough?” He asked in a colder tone.

“Of the industrialization!” Arachnea replied. “Of driving my people from their homes, of demanding resources from other kingdoms, of acting like YOU are king!” The queen’s tail whipped to the side, it poised next to Hordak’s face, just within his vision. Arachnea’s grip tightened around her baby as she advanced on Hordak, meanwhile Parvod simply rose to his feet and stood behind his wife, his hand on her shoulder to give silent support. “Well I will give you a reminder, you are NOT king, you are NOT the ruler here, and there are going to be some changes!” She called for the guards, who arrived quickly and surrounded the room. “Place Hordak under arrest, he is to be tried for treason against the crown!”

But the guards merely stood at attention, the king and queen’s heads glanced back and forth in confusion. “Didn’t you hear your queen?” Demanded Parvod. “She gave you an order!”

Hordak stood, his arms behind his back, a smirk on his face. “My beloveds,” he said calmly. “It appears that you are right, there are indeed going to be some changes.” He clicked his heels. “Place the King and Queen under arrest, they are to be placed under arrest for treason.” The soldiers encircled the king and queen, their spears pointed and at the ready.

“Excuse me!?” Demanded Arachnea, her great arms shielding Scorpia from the guards.

He strode over and pulled the letter from Parvod’s pocket. “You were going to respond to this without taking it up with the council. A crime against your own kingdom, government and citizens.” Hordak’s eyes narrowed. “I am very disappointed in you, little Arachnea.” The queen felt a tightening in her chest, as she stared back at Hordak. A wash of guilt and betrayal fell over her body like a bucket of ice water. Hordak shook his head as they were led from the nursery.

When they rounded a corner, a familiar glow spilled across the hallway through a crack in a large set of doors. Arachnea stopped in her tracks, it was the Black Garnet. She could feel its pull as the light flickered in and out. A pulsing electricity snaked its way up her tail and spine. “What are you doing to it?” She demanded, she could feel the spears of the guards poking in her back. Parvod gently pulled her along by the arm but she dug her heels in. “Answer me!” She raised her voice, her gaze now fixated on Hordak again. 

Hordak growled. “That is none of your concern anymore, traitor.” He said, he motioned for the guards to continue, with himself bringing up the rear. When they passed the doors, a thin figure crept through the doors and fell in behind Hordak. She wore flowing red robes and had only recently began wearing a strange mask.

“My lord,” she whispered. “I assume you are going to go through with this plan of yours?”

Hordak grunted. “It will be the perfect crime to pin on the Alliance and finally gain the full loyalty of the citizens of this miserable kingdom.”

The sorceress nodded. “The perfect crime indeed, though, if I may make a suggestion.” He raised in eyebrow, allowing her to continue. She leaned in and lowered her voice even further. “… so long as one princess remains, the Garnet will surely stay alive.” Hordak’s gaze stayed on the queen, her long white hair tied in a slender braid. Every queen kept their hair in a braid to represent their tails, he remembered when Arachnea first started keeping her hair in that manner, he remembered how proud the previous king and queen were on that day. He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashed in the sorceress’s direction, he nodded.

Shadow Weaver quickened her pace and motioned for the guards to halt, at this point they were just about to enter the dungeons. She extended an arm. “Considering the princess played no part in the act of treason, and that the dungeon is no place for a child, Scorpia shall be placed under special care while the King and Queen are put on trial.”

Arachnea gasped, she turned to Hordak who gave a nod to the guards. Hands approached her, Parvod shouted and cursed as he tried in vain to push against the more powerful guards. Arachnea closed her arms around Scorpia, the sharp spikes on her insectoid clawed arms shielding her baby. “You are NOT taking her from me!” She ordered. The guards all leapt back when her tail whipped around her in a wide arc. “You are all filth, filth and dust of the planet to separate a child from her mother!” A guard placed a hand on her arm, she shoved outwards, gripping the guard’s armored torso and lifting him above her head. With a shout, she threw him into the crowd, three more guards went down with him. Parvo tried to wrestle a dagger away from another guard as Arachnea threw another guard to the side, her tail slicing against shields and armor. Her eyes fell upon Hordak, her lips curled back into a snarl as she advanced on him. “Treason or not I am ending this TONIGHT!” But just as she made her third step in his direction, she froze. Her body was stuck, she threw her weight forward, trying everything to get it to move, but it wouldn’t obey her. It was then when she noticed the wails and whimpering of her baby, masked in her own blind fury just moments before. Her gaze turned to Shadow Weaver, a small, but bright glow resonated from an odd jewel in her mask.

Hordak kept his gaze on Arachnea while she was helpless. He raised his chin, strode over to the queen, and carefully pried the princess from her arms. Arachnea tried to scream, her chest swelled as blind fury built up inside. She felt her arms and tail trembling as Scorpia’s claws retained their grip on her dress, she didn’t want to let go of her mother. When Hordak finally pulled her away, the baby’s cries grew even louder as she reached for her mother. Her tail flailed helplessly until it sunk into Hordak’s arm, he let loose an angry scream. In the pain, he nearly dropped the baby, but instead fell to his knees and let his arms sink hard to the floor. Scorpia crawled on the floor a few paces before Shadow Weaver picked her up, she wrapped the baby’s tail in a cloth while two guards helped Hordak to his feet. As Hordak was guided away to the infirmary, Shadow Weaver motioned for another guard to come forward and handed the princess to him.

“Take this child to the nursery.” She ordered.

“The royal nursery?” The guard asked. 

Shadow Weaver shook her head. “No, you imbecile, the recruit nursery.” Her gaze flashed to Arachnea, Parvod was frozen as well right behind her. “She will be well taken care of, just as loved as any children of the Horde.” Parvod trembled in anger as he watched the guard turn and leave them. Scorpia’s cries echoed through the halls long after she was out of sight. Shadow Weaver turned the King and Queen towards the dungeons, they resumed their march.

~~~

The halls echoed in footsteps as a young Scorpia trotted down the halls. It was late at night and she was just given special orders to report to Lord Hordak’s chambers. The other kids in her group all recoiled in fear, soft Scorpia alone with Lord Hordak? He’d tear her limb from limb!

But Scorpia knew better, for as long as she could remember she knew Hordak wasn’t like that. Even though she was raised to know that she wasn’t any more special than anyone else, she knew Hordak as the kind yet firm leader of this kingdom. When she was a baby he would visit her on almost a daily basis. When she grew older, his visits turned into “special reports”. 

“And how is your training going?” He would ask in a gentle tone. “I’ve been told you are excelling in hand to hand combat.” 

“Yeah!” Scorpia said gleefully, she fell into a fighting stance and playfully jabbed the air with a claw. “Coach Eloi says I’m getting almost too good! I’m going to have to start sparring with the bigger kids soon!” 

Hordak smiled and nodded approvingly. “Very good, Princess,” he said. “And your venom?”

“W-Well, I’m still sleeping with a cover on it.” She said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck and chuckling. “I’m just kinda nervous still, after that one incident.” She tapped the pointed end against the floor. “I… don’t think the others have been able to trust me since then.”

Hordak’s grin dropped. “Well, child, trust is a powerful thing.” He knelt down and placed a finger under Scorpia’s chin, he guided her up to meet his gaze. “Even if it was a mistake, you broke their trust by accidentally stinging them. And it’s a long, hard road to gain trust back like that. But keep smiling,” he gave a soft smirk, “you’ll earn it back eventually.”

Scorpia gave a soft grin. “Yeah, I know.” She said happily. “I’ll show them I’m good!”

Hordak nodded. “There’s a good girl, now you run off now, it’s time for everyone to get some sleep.” He gave the child a gentle pat on the shoulder and guided her to the door. Scorpia gave him a firm hug on the leg before running off down the hallway. Hordak nodded and shut the door. A voice faded from static and echoed through his chambers. 

“I don’t see why you’re so kind to that child.” Shadow Weaver barked. “We only need her alive for the Black Garnet, once I figure out its true potential she can get killed on the battlefield.”

“Well we haven’t gotten to that road yet, have we?” Hordak sneered at one of the many screens hanging from the wall. “And you should know more than anyone else here. That child knows who she is, so trust is the ultimate weapon.” Shadow Weaver crossed her arms, Hordak’s mouth twitched. “Should anything arise, even a loyal soldier is safer, no matter how dangerous they are.”

“And if your techniques should ever fail, my lord,” Shadow Weaver grinned under her mask. “I can easily wipe the slate clean.” Red sparks flickered behind Shadow Weaver before she disconnected the communication device. Hordak shook his head and returned to his throne. From a secret console inside the right arm rest, he pulled out a small framed photo. Inside was the King and Queen when he first came to Etheria, they insisted he join them when the portrait was being taken. The warlord’s mouth twitched, he angrily sighed and returned the photo to its hiding spot. He leaned back and released a breath he had been holding. 

Meanwhile, Scorpia returned to the bunk room of her team. Everyone else had already gone to bed. Silently she crept under the covers, pulling them to her chin. I’ll make you proud, Hordak, she thought to herself before sleep overtook her.


End file.
